Center top stacking case



...www

March 14, 1961 J. B. MELVILLE 2,974,819

CENTER TOP STACKING CASE Filed Jan. 1e, 195s United States Patent O CENTER TOP STACKING CASE John B. Melville, 20301 S. Western Ave., Torrance, Calif.

'Filed Ian. 16, 1956, Ser. No. 559,409

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-20) The present invention relates to an improved case which is particularly useful in carrying milk cartons, but, of course, the same may be used for other purposes.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a carrying case which is capable of being easily stacked with other like cases. The case is of plastic material which has good dimensional stability and which is capable of withstanding high impact forces in use, and is preferably formed in one plastic molding operation. The case as described is particularly useful in carrying and handling milk cartons either of the one quart, one-half quart or one gallon size.

, A desirable feature of this case is that its routinefhandling in the delivery of the milk cartons is not occasioned by the relatively loud noises, such as those noises resulting from the use of metal or metal-wooden cases.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrying case having the features outlined generally above.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a molded plastic milk carton carrying case.

Another specic object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrying case with a partition therein having means on the upper and underside thereof for maintaining stacked like cases in a rigid assembly.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved case from which any liquid spilled therein, resulting for example from a punctured parain milk carton to ow from the case in a predetermined direction and also to ow out of the case so that the liquid does not enter any other case.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood -by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an improved case embodying features of the present invention with a section thereof broken away to show the wall construction.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the case shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation, and particularly in section, of the case illustrated in Figure 1, the section being taken generally on the line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views of a modified arrangement, with Figure 5 being taken generally on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The carrying case is of high impact plastic material and formed in a unitary structure by a plastic molding operation. The case is generally an open-ended rectangular box with a centrally disposed partition 11 that serves to divide the box into two equal compartments 12 and 13 into which milk cartons 14 may be 2,974,819 Patented Mar.V 14 1961 placed for storage and handling purposes. The milk carton 14 is illustrated as being of the conventional onequart size, but the compartments 12 and 13 may accommodate in like manner cartons of the one-half gallon or one gallon size.

The compartment 13 is deiined by the end wall 15, the pair of side walls 16 and 17, the floor or bottom 18 and one side of the partition 11. The other compartment 12 is defined by the end ywall 19, the side walls 16 and 17, the floor or bottom 18 and the other side of the partition 111. A hand hole is provided in each of the end walls and the partition 11 for convenient carrying and handling purposes, these hand holes having, respectively, 'the reference numerals 15A, 19A and 11A. The oor or bottom 18, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, is formed with a plurality of longitudinally and parallel extending V grooves 18A which are in communication with a corresponding apertured portion 15B in the end walls 15 and 19, such apertured portions in the wall 15 being designated by the reference numeral 15B; and there are like apertured portions (not shown) in the other end wall 19.

The general purpose of such V grooves 18A and communicating apertured portions in the end Walls 15 and 19 is to provide paths through which anyspilled liquid may drain so as to prevent the drained liquid from entering any other case which may be stacked underneath that particular case from which drainage occurs.

An important feature of lthe present invention is the construction of the partition 11 having means associated therewith to allow convenient stacking, with the stacked cases being locked together. These means comprise generally a portion 11B of the partition 11 which, as shown in Figure l, extends above the ends of the side and end walls for cooperation with the apertured portion 11C in a like case.

It is noted with reference to Figures l and 2 that the extension 11B is triangular in cross section for convenient indexing purposes and extends substantially the full distance between side walls 16 and 17. The extension 11B, instead of being triangular, may be rounded or other shape so long as it terminates generally in a point or, preferably, at a relatively small at upper surface as shown.

The cases may be conveniently stacked by sliding the upper case on the projection 11B to a position wherein the apertured portion 11C is in registry with the projecting portion 11B of the case below. The cases for that purpose have the underside of the bottoms 18 formed to permit relative sliding movement between the cases. Thus, as seen in Figure 3, the grooved portions 18A are each ofidentical configuration and the portions 18C which dene the underside of the grooved portions are generally in the same plane so as to provide a bearing surface for the upper end of the projecting portion 11B. It is noted further that the side walls 16 and 17 have their lower ends in the plane defined by the bottom portions 18C to define generally a flush underside. Unstacking may be accomplished simply with the person using one hand, as, for example, by using the hand hole or handle 15A and lifting that end of the case suiliciently high to lift the apertured portion 11C away from the extension 11B, while at the same time sliding the upper case on the lower case. Stacking is accomplished simply by sliding the upper case on the lower case until gravity forces on the upper case cause the projecting portion 11B to enter the apertured portion 11C.

In the modication shown in Figures 4 and 5, instead of providing a plurality of drain holes in each of the end walls as described above, each of the grooved portions B (corresponding to the grooved portions 15B) is in communication with a common drain channel 116 formed in the bottom 118. The drain channel 116 extends outwardly through a side wall.

By these constructions, it is noted that no indexing ears which are susceptible of bending in use are provided. A material suitable in fabricating lthe case as described above is so-called super-'high impact polystyrene, and the case may be fabricated using an injection molding process.

The compartments 13 and 14 may, if desired, be compartmentized for handling and storing glass bottles so that the bottles do not touch or rub against each other.

While the particular embodiments `of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be 0b Vvious to thosey skilled in the art that changes and modications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claim is to cover all such changes and modilications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

A stackable carrying case for articles, comprising: a generally rectangular open-top molded unitary container having a bottom wall provided with a continuous peripheral outer surface portion -dening a single plane and continuous side walls, the upper edges of which form a continuous peripheral surface which defines a second plane parallel to said first plane, said upper edges of said side walls providing a sliding support for the bottom wall of a similar case resting thereon; and a partition extending between opposed side walls and dividing said container into compartments, said partition being secured at its lower edge to said bottom wall and having a portion of its upper edge projecting` as an abutment above the plane defined by said upper edges lof said side walls, the ends of said abutment terminating a substantial distance inwardly of the outer faces of said opposed side walls, said abutment extending only a very short height above the contines of the container and constituting the only portion of said unitary container extending above said second plane, said partition having a downwardly-opening elongated aperture in'its lower edge, said aperture terminating inwardly of the outer faces of said opposed side walls to snugly receive the entire projecting abutment of a similar case resting thereon in stacked relation, whereby the upper stacked similar case cannot be displaced from the lower case by movement in a single plane in any direction but that b-y slight tilting of the upper case, the lupper case is readily slid over the lower case in either a longitudinal or a lateral direction.

References Cited in the tile of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 655,530 Vossbeck Aug. 7, 1900 801,499 Yonkers Oct. 10, 1905 1,542,115 \Veis June 16, 1925 1,728,778 Alchin Sept. 17, 1929 2,081,078 Watson May 18, 1937 2,610,760 Ball Sept. 16, 1952 2,655,283 Moldt L Oct. 13, 1953 2,758,750 Stroop Aug. 14, 1956 

